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$ THE GLASS FACTORY. $
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=-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ SEVERAL CENTURIES AFTER IT HAD LAST ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-=
$=-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ BELONGED TO US, WE WENT ON AN OUTING TO ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-=$
%$=-:¨¨¨¨¨ THE GLASS FACTORY THAT BORE OUR FAMILY ¨¨¨¨¨:-=$%
¤%$=-:¨¨¨¨ NAME. IT HAD CHANGED OWNERS MANY TIMES ¨¨¨¨:-=$%¤
£¤%$=-:¨¨¨ SINCE OUR ANCESTORS DEATH, AND THEN ¨¨¨:-=$%¤£
#£¤%$=-:¨¨ STOOD ABANDONED FOR A LONG WHILE. ¨¨:-=$%¤£#
##£¤%$=-:¨ FINALLY, THE NATURAL END STATION FOR ¨:-=$%¤£##
#£¤%$=-:¨¨ THE BUILDINGS THAT SURVIVE: A MUSEUM, ¨¨:-=$%¤£#
£¤%$=-:¨¨¨ AND A GIFT SHOP. ¨¨¨:-=$%¤£
¤%$=-:¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨:-=$%¤
%$=-:¨¨¨¨¨ THERE'S A LONG TIME SINCE MY FAMILY ¨¨¨¨¨:-=$%
$=-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ MADE ANYTHING. BY MANY, WE WOULD BE ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-=$
=-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ CONSIDERED POOR. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-=
-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-
:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THERE ARE TWO MAIN FACTORY BUILDINGS, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ DOMED THINGS OF SEVERAL FLOORS, MADE IN ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ YELLOW BRICK. LARGE BUT NARROW WINDOWS, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:
-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ REMINESCENT OF SOME CATHEDRAL. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-
=-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ CUSTOM-MADE GLASS, OF COURSE, LARGE AND ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-=
$=-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ LEADED, AND ASHEN. A BIT TOO DARK TO BE ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-=$
%$=-:¨¨¨¨¨ PRACTICAL. ON THE EASTERN BUILDING, ¨¨¨¨¨:-=$%
¤%$=-:¨¨¨¨ SOME ARE SHATTERED. ¨¨¨¨:-=$%¤
£¤%$=-:¨¨¨ ¨¨¨:-=$%¤£
#£¤%$=-:¨¨ THE OTHER ONE IS PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S ¨¨:-=$%¤£#
##£¤%$=-:¨ A MUSEUM, WITH WAX FIGURES OF MY GREAT ¨:-=$%¤£##
#£¤%$=-:¨¨ GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, OR SOMETHING. ¨¨:-=$%¤£#
£¤%$=-:¨¨¨ VARIOUS TOOLS (OR REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON ¨¨¨:-=$%¤£
¤%$=-:¨¨¨¨ TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS. A LOT OF ¨¨¨¨:-=$%¤
%$=-:¨¨¨¨¨ GLASS OF VARYING THICKNESS. ¨¨¨¨¨:-=$%
$=-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-=$
=-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ $$ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-=
-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ $$ $$ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-
:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ------- $ $ ------- ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ $$ $$ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ $$ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:
-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-
=-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ I QUICKLY SNEAK OUT, AND CLIMB INTO THE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-=
$=-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ OTHER BUILDING. THE CONTRAST IS ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-=$
%$=-:¨¨¨¨¨ OVERWHELMING. IT MUST HAVE STOOD ¨¨¨¨¨:-=$%
¤%$=-:¨¨¨¨ DERELICT FOR A LONG TIME, WINDOWS ¨¨¨¨:-=$%¤
£¤%$=-:¨¨¨ BROKEN, METALLIC TRASH AND POOLS OF ¨¨¨:-=$%¤£
#£¤%$=-:¨¨ DARK GLASS ALL OVER THE FLOOR. NO ¨¨:-=$%¤£#
##£¤%$=-:¨ ELECTRIC LIGHTS, BUT I CAN SEE BY THE ¨:-=$%¤£##
#£¤%$=-:¨¨ LIGHT THAT SHINES IN WHEREVER THE DARK ¨¨:-=$%¤£#
£¤%$=-:¨¨¨ WINDOWS ARE MISSING A PANE. ¨¨¨:-=$%¤£
¤%$=-:¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨:-=$%¤
%$=-:¨¨¨¨¨ HOWEVER, THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IS THE ¨¨¨¨¨:-=$%
$=-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ HIGHER FLOORS: THIS BUILDING HAS NONE. ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-=$
=-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ IT IS ONE MASSIVE HALL, STRETCHING AWAY ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-=
-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ INFINITELY ABOVE ME. SOMEWHERE UP THERE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-
:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ IS SOME GREAT IRON LATTICEWORK, FROM ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ WHERE CHAINS ARE SUSPENDED, AND PARTS ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ OF MACHINERY HAS BEEN FALLING DOWN. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:
-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-
=-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THERE IS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-=
$=-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ HALL, A THIN SPIRAL STAIRCASE THAT ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-=$
%$=-:¨¨¨¨¨ LEADS UP THERE. I SNEAK OVER THERE, AND ¨¨¨¨¨:-=$%
¤%$=-:¨¨¨¨ TAKE A FEW RELUCTANT STEPS. AFTER JUST ¨¨¨¨:-=$%¤
£¤%$=-:¨¨¨ A REVOLUTION, I NOTICE THAT FOR EACH ¨¨¨:-=$%¤£
#£¤%$=-:¨¨ STEP THE BUILDING STARTS TO GLOW, THE ¨¨:-=$%¤£#
##£¤%$=-:¨ BRICKS TURNING A DARK RED, AND THEN ¨:-=$%¤£##
#£¤%$=-:¨¨ ORANGE, ALL THE PILED UP DEBREE BEING ¨¨:-=$%¤£#
£¤%$=-:¨¨¨ LIT FROM BEHIND. ¨¨¨:-=$%¤£
¤%$=-:¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨:-=$%¤
%$=-:¨¨¨¨¨ I STOP READY TO RUN DOWN AND OUT, BUT ¨¨¨¨¨:-=$%
$=-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE ON THE STAIRCASE ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-=$
=-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ WITH ME NOW, PRESSED CLOSE. HE'S ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-=
-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ LOOKING LIKE ME, SHORT HAIR AND THIN ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-
:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ARMS, BUT WITH EARS FROM SOME ANIMAL, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ AND MORE DISTURBINGLY, COMPLETELY MADE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ OF DARK LIQUID GLASS. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:
-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-
=-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ $$ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-=
$=-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ $$ $$ ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-=$
%$=-:¨¨¨¨¨ ------- $ $ ------- ¨¨¨¨¨:-=$%
¤%$=-:¨¨¨¨ $$ $$ ¨¨¨¨:-=$%¤
£¤%$=-:¨¨¨ $$ ¨¨¨:-=$%¤£
#£¤%$=-:¨¨ ¨¨:-=$%¤£#
##£¤%$=-:¨ MY FEAR HOLDS ME IN PLACE WHILE HE ¨:-=$%¤£##
#£¤%$=-:¨¨ STARTS OPERATING LEVERS AND DIALS SET ¨¨:-=$%¤£#
£¤%$=-:¨¨¨ IN THE CENTER OF THE STAIRCASE. SLOWLY, ¨¨¨:-=$%¤£
¤%$=-:¨¨¨¨ IT STARTS SPINNING, CIRCLING UPWARDS. ¨¨¨¨:-=$%¤
%$=-:¨¨¨¨¨ IT'S AN ELEVATOR! I START TO RUN ¨¨¨¨¨:-=$%
$=-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ DOWNWARDS, BUT NOW THE LIQUID BOY ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-=$
=-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ CREATURE GRABS HOLD OF ME. I TRY TO ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-=
-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ SHAKE HIM OFF, BUT HE'S TOO STRONG, AND ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-
:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ PULLS ME BACK UP BESIDE HIM. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THIS TIME, I TURN ANGRY INSTEAD. WHAT ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:
-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THE HELL? WHO IS THIS GUY, ACTING LIKE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-
=-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THIS? I REACH OUT MY FREE ARM AND SLAM ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-=
$=-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ A RANDOM LEVER. SOME METAL BAR IS ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-=$
%$=-:¨¨¨¨¨ SUDDENLY RELEASED BETWEEN US, HITTING ¨¨¨¨¨:-=$%
¤%$=-:¨¨¨¨ HIM ON THE ARM, FORCING MY RELEASE. I ¨¨¨¨:-=$%¤
£¤%$=-:¨¨¨ SHOVE HIM OFF OF ME, AND HE FALLS INTO ¨¨¨:-=$%¤£
#£¤%$=-:¨¨ THE LEVERS, MESSING THEM UP. ¨¨:-=$%¤£#
##£¤%$=-:¨ IMMEDIATELY, A THIN RUSTY CHAINMAIL ¨:-=$%¤£##
#£¤%$=-:¨¨ CURTAIN IS DROPPED AROUND ME. BUT THE ¨¨:-=$%¤£#
£¤%$=-:¨¨¨ ELEVATOR ALSO SPEEDS UP SIGNIFICANTLY. ¨¨¨:-=$%¤£
¤%$=-:¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨:-=$%¤
%$=-:¨¨¨¨¨ THE WALLS ARE FLARING NOW, YELLOW, ¨¨¨¨¨:-=$%
$=-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ WHITE, ALMOST BLUE. I CLOSE MY EYES AND ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-=$
=-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ CURL INTO A BALL. BUT THEN, THE GLASS ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-=
-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ BOY SCREAMS, A PIERCING SOUND THAT ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-
:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ FORCES MY EYES BACK OPEN. I WATCH AS HE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ BECOMES TOO LIQUID, HIS BODY POOLING ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ DOWN IN HIS NOW MASSIVE TAIL, AND THE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:
-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ TIP OF IT SUDDENLY BREAKS OF IN A GLASS ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-
=-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ DROP THAT FALLS TOWARD THE FACTORY ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-=
$=-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ FLOOR. ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-=$
%$=-:¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨:-=$%
¤%$=-:¨¨¨¨ HE'S CRAWLING ON THE STAIRS, UNABLE TO ¨¨¨¨:-=$%¤
£¤%$=-:¨¨¨ KEEP HIS BODY UPRIGHT. CAN'T REACH THE ¨¨¨:-=$%¤£
#£¤%$=-:¨¨ LEVERS, CLAWS AT MY CHAINMAIL CAGE, ¨¨:-=$%¤£#
##£¤%$=-:¨ WHILE HIS BODY IS TURNING INTO DARK ¨:-=$%¤£##
#£¤%$=-:¨¨ PEARLS. FINALLY, HE'S LOST TOO MUCH OF ¨¨:-=$%¤£#
£¤%$=-:¨¨¨ HIMSELF AND THE SCREAM IS CUT SHORT. ¨¨¨:-=$%¤£
¤%$=-:¨¨¨¨ THE LAST OF HIM RAINS DOWN. ¨¨¨¨:-=$%¤
%$=-:¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨:-=$%
$=-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ I STILL CAN'T REACH THE LEVERS FROM ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-=$
=-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ WITHIN MY CAGE. LOOKING UP, I TRY TO ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-=
-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ MAKE OUT THE CEILING, BUT IT'S ALL A ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-
:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ WHIRLING SEA OF COLOURS. BELOW ME GLOWS ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THE HELLFIRE OF THE FACTORY WALLS, BUT ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ VERY FAINT. I SIT DOWN, CURL BACK UP, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:
-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ BECOME STILL. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-
=-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-=
$=-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ $$ ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-=$
%$=-:¨¨¨¨¨ $$ $$ ¨¨¨¨¨:-=$%
¤%$=-:¨¨¨¨ ------- $ $ ------- ¨¨¨¨:-=$%¤
£¤%$=-:¨¨¨ $$ $$ ¨¨¨:-=$%¤£
#£¤%$=-:¨¨ $$ ¨¨:-=$%¤£#
##£¤%$=-:¨ ¨:-=$%¤£##
#£¤%$=-:¨¨ A LARGE CLUNK SHAKES MY ENTIRE BODY, ¨¨:-=$%¤£#
£¤%$=-:¨¨¨ AND SNAPS ME BACK INTO REALITY. I'M ¨¨¨:-=$%¤£
¤%$=-:¨¨¨¨ BACK AT THE FACTORY FLOOR, BUT THE ¨¨¨¨:-=$%¤
%$=-:¨¨¨¨¨ STAIRS ARE STILL MOVING SLIGHTLY, ¨¨¨¨¨:-=$%
$=-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ CLICKING IN PLACE, CARRYING ME THE LAST ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-=$
=-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ FEW CENTIMETERS. I CAME FROM BELOW, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-=
-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ SOMEHOW. THE CHAINMAIL IS RETRACTED, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-
:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ AND I SLOWLY DISMOUNT THE STAIRS. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ SHAKING AND CRYING, I MAKE MY WAY OVER ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:
-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THE FACTORY FLOOR, WADING THROUGH DARK ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-
=-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ GLASS MARBLES. A QUICK GLANCE DOWN, AND ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-=
$=-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ I SEE THERE'S SOMETHING FAINT INSIDE ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-=$
%$=-:¨¨¨¨¨ THEM. EMBRYOS? ARE THESE EGGS? ¨¨¨¨¨:-=$%
¤%$=-:¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨:-=$%¤
£¤%$=-:¨¨¨ I SHUDDER, AND CLIMB BACK OUT. ¨¨¨:-=$%¤£
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